Kanto's Rhapsody
by Dusk Emperor
Summary: A reimagining of the story of Pokemon Red, Blue and Green. After an "unexplained incident", Red gives up on being a pokemon trainer. But after an organization starts to move around and a picture of a missing friend appears, Red gets pulled into a conflict that spans all of the Kanto region. A modern take on Pokemon.


**Kanto's Rhapsody**

 **Prologue: The Kanto Trio.**

"I'll be back in a bit Mom!"

Without waiting for an answer, the young boy slammed his house door shut and launched himself toward the sidewalk.

It was a warm evening in August. The sounds of the cicadas chirping filled the air. The slight breeze in the air ruffled through the boy's hair

The boy took a few moments to breathe in the fresh air. He exhaled and pumped his hand into the air in excitement.

"Alright, enough messing around. Blue's probably already waiting for me."

The boy was late for a meeting with a friend because his little sister wouldn't stop grabbing a hold of his leg and not letting go. Honestly, he really liked his little sister, but sometimes she was a little clingy.

( _She is only four years old but still..._ )

With a shrug of his shoulders, the boy continued his walk down the street.

This was the town of Pallet. It was a smaller town situated in the southwest of the Kanto region. It had a population of around a thousand people. The town got its name from how clean and fresh the town felt to the people. A "Palette" or a clean slate where paint is mixed, ready for the colors of the people to mix with the town and create art. The town had a unique style with many different kinds of buildings but it also has a lot of greenery as well. Trees and bushes were growing throughout the town, keeping their old history of being a smaller village at one time, alive.

Even the pokemon, the animals of this world, lived peacefully with the people of the town. They lived in the trees, the top of buildings, and everywhere else.

As the boy walked down the street, he looked up and saw the many bird pokemon perched on the power lines of the utility poles. He could name a few of them. There were some pidgey, spearow, and even a pidgeotto.

After walking for about a kilometer, he saw a familiar street lamp with a bench sitting under it. There sat a young girl with long chestnut brown hair, tied up into twin tails on both sides of her head. She had on a white sundress with black ribbons as the straps of the dress.

The girl was fidgeting around on the bench, her blue eyes anxiously searching for something or someone. Upon finally spotting the boy walking toward her, she gave a sigh of relief and got up from the bench.

"Uuuu…" The girl pouted. "Red, you're late."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The boy, now named Red, waved his hands in front of him in apology. "Selene-chan wouldn't let go of me."

"That's not good enough." The girl turned her head with a "hmph."

"Oh come on, Blue-tan." Red smiled and put his hands behind his head. "Green isn't even here yet, so you should be complaining about him, not me."

"You know that I don't like it when you call me that…"

"I know… Bluuue-tan."

"Uuuu! T-that's it!" Blue whined and stomped her foot on the ground.

"Hahaha! You gotta run faster than that to catch me!" Red laughed as Blue started to chase him around.

"B-but I'm wearing a dress! Red, that's not fair!"

The two kids ran down the street, laughing and yelling all the way. Red noticed some neighbors watching them, so he gave them a cheesy grin and waved as he ran by. Blue stopped and bowed to them, saying that she was sorry about the noise and continued to chase after him.

Red and Blue were friends ever since they were born, and of course the after mentioned boy named Green. They were the trio of Pallet Town. Red and his friends loved their hometown of Pallet. Everyday was always fun to him.

Red's running stopped when he spotted a pokemon battle up ahead.

"Oh cool! Look at that!" Red yelled out in excitement. In front of him was a pig faced monkey and a blue butterfly.

With the sudden stop, Blue couldn't stop her momentum and slammed her body into Red's back.

"Gah!"

Both of their bodies tumbled unto the ground. Their limbs became a tangled mess that closely resembled spaghetti.

"Ow… come on Blue, you know I was joking…" Red muttered as he tried to get up.

"I-it was your fault Red. Why did you stop so suddenly?" Blue asked with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"I was looking at the Pokemon bat-" Red got cut off as he saw a hand outstretched in front of him.

"What am I going to do with the both of you?"

Red looked up. He recognized that amused voice anywhere. He smirked at the boy with the brown spiky hair and green eyes.

"Finally decided to join us, eh Green."

Red clasped his best friend's hand and was pulled up from the ground.

"I told you that we were meeting at the park, remember?"

Red scratched his head in confusion. "Oops, guess I missed that part?"

Green sighed in exasperation and looked back down at Blue. "You need a hand as well?"

"S-sure," Blue said quietly and took his hand.

With everyone back on their feet, Green lead them to their designation. Red was reluctant to leave because he wanted to see the rest of the battle, but Green dragged him away anyway.

…

"So, Green, what did ya want to talk about?"

Red brought up the question when they finally got to the park.

It was a park situated in the middle of a housing district in Pallet town, surrounded by housing complexes. It had the normal swing sets and slide like any normal park had.

"I don't know. Don't we always hang out around this park?"

"So nothing important came up? Like maybe Gramps-Oak discovered a new pokemon?" Red asked as he tried to balance on a Arbok-shaped seesaw.

Green shook his head. "Nah, if that happened, it would have been all over the news."

"True…"

Green's grandfather was the renown Samuel Oak, a professor of pokemon in the Kanto region. He was the one who created the Pokedex, an encyclopedia all about pokemon. The Pokedex is given out to all of the new trainers of the region. Trainers are tasked to gather the data of all of the pokemon and complete the Pokedex.

"H-hey…" Blue shyly asked while on top of the Phanpy-shaped slide. "When we grow up… what are we going to be doing?"

Red and Green gave her a confused face, saying 'why would you ask that'?

Blue squeaked in embarrassment and continued. "Well you know… you were talking about the Professor and that got me thinking about being a trainer and stuff…"

Red thought for a bit and nodded his head once he had his answer.

"We know Blue, we were just teasing you. But anyways, I'm going to be a pokemon trainer of course. That was always my dream."

"Same." Green agreed. "And once we get strong enough…"

"The Pokemon League will be waiting for us." Red finished.

This was Red and Green's ultimate goal. Becoming the Pokemon Indigo League champion. The greatest trainer in the Kanto and Johto regions.

"But by that time, we're be rivals, competing for the same goal."

"That's fine. You're be a great rival for me, Green."

They gave each other a friendly smirk. The two boys always competed with each other. Who was the faster runner in class, or who was the smartest. It was normal to them.

"Alright than." Blue slid down the slide and joined them near the middle of the park. "I don't know what I want to do yet, but… I'll be cheering both you on!"

All three of them looked at each other and nodded. They put their fists out and put their knuckles together. With that, they all promised that they would work hard for their dreams.

…

After about a hour of random talk from their favorite TV show and their favorite pokemon, they finally decided to get up and leave for the night.

Red had to get home anyways. His mom was probably going to kill him for being late for dinner… plus his little sister would bite him again… a shiver went up his spine.

"Red, are you alright?"

"Ah… just thinking that when I get home, Selene-chan is probably going to bite me…" Red visibly cringed in pain.

"That's not your only worry, what about your Mom?"

Blue let out a cute giggle. "But Selene-chan is so cute."

"I agree. Red, you should be more kinder to your little sister." Green added.

"You know, you guys are not helping…"

They didn't have a little sister that bit you when she got annoyed. It was cute, sure, but it still hurt. It was like that old saying, love can hurt, or was that love can be painful?

"We know."

Green and Blue shared a laugh and draped their arms around Red's shoulders.

Red questioned his choice of friends but shook his head. These were the kinds of friends he needed. The cocky Green and the shy but cute Blue.

"Alright guys, get off me." With a shrug of his shoulders they let go of him.

Continuing with their walk home, they passed a few people having a pokemon battle, someone out walking their growlithe, and even a few machoke at a building site for a new theater for the town.

After passing an alleyway, Red could hear scuffling noises coming from inside it. It sounded like a…

"Wait a second…" Red held out his arm, stopping his friends from moving forward.

"What's wrong?"

Ignoring Blue's question, Red turned to Green. "Do you here that…?"

"Yeah, it sounds like a…"

Just as Green began to speak, suddenly a huge brown rat shot out from the alleyway aiming for Red and his friends.

Red and Green reacted instantly, sending out their own pokemon.

A small tadpole pokemon with swirls on it's chest and a small orange salamander with a flaming tail appeared before them.

"Nyoro, water gun!"

"Charmander, ember!"

The poliwag shot out a high-pressured steam of water from it's mouth as the charmander swung it's tail around, scattering flames around the rat's body.

The rat screeched in anger, barely fazed from the attacks. Red wondered why a wild pokemon in the town looked so agitated, but ended his thoughts when the rat looked at the one human without a pokemon and lunged forward.

Red noticed what the rat was planning and whipped around quickly.

"Nyoro, tackle it!"

The poliwag slammed into the rat's body in mid-air, knocking it off course as Red grabbed Blue's hand and pulled her behind his body.

"Charmander scratch his unprotected stomach!"

Green's Charmander spun around and with the momentum, slashed it's claws downward in a wide arc, slicing the rat's stomach.

"Is it down?" Red asked cautiously. He could see some blood seeping from the matted fur on it's stomach wound from the scratch attack.

As if mocking Red, the rat got right back up and screeched again. It's whiskers twitched in anger.

Green clicked his tongue in annoyance. "This raticate doesn't know when to give up."

The raticate got on all fours, looking like a bull ready to rush them.

"W-what are we supposed to do!?" Blue yelled in fear. "My igglybuff can't do anything to that pokemon!"

Red ground his teeth in frustration. Why wasn't this rat going down?

"Nidoking, horn drill!"

Suddenly a voice yelled out. With that command, came a huge pokemon with purple scales throughout it's body and with a long powerful tail. It rushed forward and rammed it's spinning horn into the raticate's body, smashing it into the building next to it. The bricks of the building cracked and shattered upon the impact.

Red stood there with his friends, wide-eyed with amazement. He was at a loss of words. The power of that nidoking was incredible!

Red turned around as he heard foot steps coming closer to them. Looking that way, he saw the nidoking's trainer.

A man with a black jacket with it's straps undone blowing behind him, stepped forward. In his hand was a lit cigarette, with his mouth blowing it's smoke out. His raven colored hair was slicked back, with a few strands falling forward in front of his face. To Red, he looked like the strongest and most coolest trainer ever.

"Are you kids alright?" The man asked in a deep voice.

All the kids could do was nod.

Green was the first one to break away from the trance. He turned to Red in concern.

"Red, I should go get Grandpa, you guys wait here. He should know that a wild rouge pokemon was around town."

Red nodded and Green took off toward his house.

"…"

Silence. All Red could do was stand there. Blue, who was still behind him, was shivering. Red guessed she was just cold with that summer dress she was wearing.

"Hey, kid." The man addressed Red.

Red knew that he shouldn't talk to strangers, but the man saved them, so he must be a good guy. With that excuse, Red glanced at the man.

"What's up…. eh…"

The man smiled wryly. "You can just call me Vanni."

"Alright, Vanni-san, what do you wanna ask?"

Vanni looked at both the kids. When his eyes glanced at Blue, with an "Eep." she hid her face behind Red's shoulder and glared at him.

"You kids fought that raticate pretty well. How old are you all?"

"We're all eight years old."

"Really? I have a son a few years younger than you. Though he has fiery red hair from his Mother." Vanni shook his head. "Anyways, I want to know, what are pokemon to you?"

Red was taken aback from the sudden question. What was pokemon to him? To him, they were always there, but with his poliwag, Nyoro, he felt a bond with it. They were his irreplaceable comrades.

"Pokemon are my… comrades. They know my dream of wanting to be the strongest and they want to fight with me to achieve that dream. Or I think." Red said, embarrassment showing on his face.

Vanni smiled. "I thought that would have been your answer." He crouched down and rubbed Red's head, messing up his hair. "Try not to go down the path that I chose and try to become the strongest trainer."

Red cocked his head in confusion. What did the man mean 'down his path'?

As Red was about to ask that question, he felt a tug on his t-shirt.

"Come on Red, let's just leave. I don't trust this man at all. And anyways, didn't our moms tell us not to talk to strangers?" Blue whispered in Red's ear.

Red sighed. "Fine…"

The man overheard Blue and chuckled. "It's alright. I shouldn't keep your friend waiting any longer."

Red bowed and turned around to leave with Blue still behind him.

"Ah, wait a moment. I got something for you kid."

Hearing the sound of something flying through the air, Red rotated his body and caught it in his hand. Looking at it, it was a strange rock with a fossil in the middle of some yellow hardened goop.

"That's an amber that I dug up in Mt. Moon. You can keep it."

"Really!?" Red exclaimed. He never saw a pokemon fossil before.

"Yeah, keep it. I found a few other fossils anyways."

"Thanks Vanni-san! Alright, come on Blue-tan!"

"I told you not to call me that!"

…

The man watched as the two kids ran off down the empty street. He let out a long sigh.

That boy reminded him of himself, years ago. Always wanting to be the strongest trainer, with his pokemon at his side. He was headstrong, trying to protect his friends. He wondered how long that would last for that boy. Or maybe… he could be what he wanted to become.

Sounds of the raticate starting to get up resounded. With a screech of anger it tried to attack the man for disrupting it's fight.

Suddenly, the body of the Raticate was frozen in ice and shattered instantly into a bunch of little pieces.

A strange clam shaped pokemon surrounded by sharp barbed-like horns was now next to Vanni. The air around his body was filled with ice particles, chilling the air instantly.

He dropped his cigarette on the ground and stomped it under his shoe.

"What a pest…" He muttered as he shoved his hands into his pant's pockets and walked away into the night.

He couldn't turn back. Not even back then or right now. This is what he had become.

...

"Red, that was very dangerous talking to that man."

Blue was worried with how Red always acted. Always charging forward, not thinking of the consequences. With Green's more cautiousness, they balanced each other out, but when one of them weren't present, things could get out of hand.

"Come on Blue, with out Vanni-san, we would have been in serious trouble."

"I know that… but something felt off about him…"

"You always act like that in front of everybody. You and your shy personality." Red teased.

Blue's face went red in embarrassment. "I-I can't help that!"

Red flicked Blue's forehead playfully. "Green and I can't keep on protecting you all of the time ya know."

"But Puriri can't fight very well…" She loved her igglybuff, but it wasn't a very good fighter. It was a little cute pink puff ball.

"Than why not train with me and Green. We're help you become a better trainer." Red recommended.

"Uuuu… maybe I will." Blue whispered.

"Huh? I couldn't hear you."

"It's nothing! Let's just catch up to Green!"

Blue smiled to herself. Red was such a nice person. She could usually rely on him most of the time.

"Boo."

Blue turned around and was met with Green's face.

"Eeeeeeep!" Blue cried and hid behind Red's back again.

"Nice one." Red fist-bumped with Green.

"You guys are so mean!" Blue whined and pinched Red's back.

"H-hey! I didn't even do anything this time!"

Blue stuck her tongue out at both of them.

"Huff huff, Green, slow down… I can't run like I used to…"

An older man slowly walked forward, trying to breath in some more air. His graying hair was frazzled from all his running. The white lab coat on his back was blowing back in the breeze.

Green looked back at the older man. "Sorry Grandpa, it was very important."

"So… what happened? All I heard that there was a wild pokemon attack." Oak asked when he finally caught his breath.

Red stepped forward. "Well…"

He quickly explained everything that happened, from the raticate attack and to the man who saved them with his nidoking. He tried leaving out the part about talking to the man, but Blue interrupted him and told Professor Oak about it anyways.

Red gave Blue an annoyed look.

Blue crossed her arms. "Hmph… You deserved it."

"Alright, alright. I get the gist of it now." Oak said, trying to remedy the situation.

Oak sighed and placed his hands into his lab coat's pockets. "It's getting late you three. You should go on home. Your parents are probably worried about you."

Blue's face showed worry etched on it. Her mother would be furious with her being out so late.

"OH NOOO!" Red suddenly yelled out in panic.

Blue jumped in surprise. "W-what's wrong…?

"We were having Cinnabar Island steak for dinner! And I missed it!"

Blue and Green shook their head with a wry smile on their lips. Yes, this was normal with a boy like Red.

"Go on Red. I'll finish with everything here."

"Thanks Professor! See ya tomorrow at school guys!"

Red waved and ran off toward the direction of his house.

Blue gripped the hem of her dress and sighed. Red was so strong and careless. What about her? She was scared and couldn't even battle with her pokemon.

"Are you okay, Blue?" Oak asked in worry.

"Ah, I'm fine Professor. I'll be going home as well…"

Oak nodded. "Do you want me to walk you back home?"

"No Professor, I'll be okay."

As she walked away, she looked back behind her and saw Green looking concerned but she didn't think any of it. With that, she started her quiet walk home.

…

Red reached the street where his house was located. He kicked a rock across the road as he walked forward.

His head was deep in thought. If that man wasn't there to save them, something terrible would have happened. Green and him wasn't strong enough to take that raticate down.

He took out Nyoro's pokeball from his pocket and stared at it. He had to become stronger, to protect the ones he cared about.

With that resolution, he shoved the pokeball back into his pocket and took a deep breath. This was going to be his first step.

…

 **A/N: Thank you for reading this far. Dark Emperor here. I am excited to finally start this new series of the reimaginings.**

 **Basically, it's going to be a series where I write my own stories on how the game's story goes. Kind of like how the Adventures or Special Manga series did their own story. I'll be using some story elements from the games and manga to write my own take on the games. I actually already have ideas for the stories of Gold/Silver, Diamond/Pearl, X/Y, and Sun/Moon. Which, like the Manga series, all continue on the same timeline.**

 **My version of the Pokemon world will be very modern, as you read with the description of Pallet Town, it's a much bigger town. I will go into more detail in later chapters when they come up, but expect my version to be close to real life. Since Kanto is based from a region of Japan, all characters will speak to each other using Japanese honorifics. And the currency, Pokedollars, will be changed to yen, just like the Japanese versions of the games. For people who are confused, basically a yen is around a penny or one cent of a US dollar.**

 **So I guess, give me your thoughts on my story and I'll try to get the next chapter out.**

 **Dark Emperor signing out.**


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